


Don't Talk (To Strangers)

by Tails89



Category: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies)
Genre: Hiccstrid - Freeform, Whump, chicken makes an appearance, pretending its season 5, set after the season finale of rtte season 4, stoicks a good dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-16
Updated: 2017-06-17
Packaged: 2018-11-01 11:29:56
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10920909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tails89/pseuds/Tails89
Summary: *on hiatus*After the events of the Season 4 finale, the gang have returned to Berk. Hiccup struggles with the guilt of losing the Dragon Eye and causing Viggo’s death. He buries himself in his work and obsessing over his latest invention and slowly, things go back to normal. But after an argument with Astrid, Hiccup disappears. Is he simply looking for a chance to escape the pressures of learning to run a village, or is there something more sinister going on?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, this was pretty much done but then I changed it quite a bit while editing... I'm not sure when this is get updated again. Sorry guys. 
> 
> Suuuuper tentative title guys, I might change it later. Naming things is not my strong point.  
> This is basically all written (minus the serious editing it's going through) I'll update it as I finish editing, probably once a week (around uni/work/etc)
> 
> Enjoy :)

Dragon’s Edge was gone.

The island was nothing but a smoking wreck of charred forests and rocky outcrops. The outpost had been flattened by the pyroclastic surge that had exploded from the erupting volcano. The Dragon Riders had barely made it out, racing the against the flow of hot gas that obliterated everything in its path.

Hiccup was at least consoled by the fact that no dragons were injured during the eruption and that they could still make their home on the island. However, it was no longer a habitable environment for the Vikings. The thick ash plumes wouldn’t bother a dragon, but human lungs were much more delicate.

“What do we do now?” Fishlegs had his hands resting on Meatlug’s back, reassuring himself that his dragon was okay.

The group had landed on a small island to rest. Though Dragon’s Edge was no longer in sight, the viscous smoke cloud could still be seen rising high into the sky. Occasionally there would be a flash of lightning from within the cloud, as though Thor himself had been angered by the loss of the island.

“We can’t go back there.” Hiccup turned away from the scene before him to look at his friends. Astrid stood by him, her fingers loosely linked with his in a show of support. “We should head back to Berk. We can regroup and decide what to do with the last of the Dragon Hunters, but with no one to guide them, maybe they’ll disband.”

Viggo was dead, possibly Ryker too. No one had seen him resurface after the Shellfire had gone down. Hopefully, this would be the last of the Grimborn brothers.

“Do you really think it could be that easy?” Snotlout strut forward, his hands on his hips.

“What about this has been easy?” Astrid asked. She flung her hand out to gesture behind her and Hiccup. The sun was going down, the brilliant reds and oranges setting fire to the sky as it set through the thick volcanic ash.

Snotlout didn’t answer her. No one said anything. Instead, they stood and stared towards the island they had once called home. Each rider wondered if they would ever see it or the dragons who inhabited it again.

“Berk it is then.” Fishlegs mounted Meatlug. The twins mounted Barf and Belch. Chicken was clutched protectively under Tuffnut’s arm. Snoutlout grumbled but climbed into Hookfang’s saddle.

“Hiccup?”

Only Astrid and Hiccup remained on the ground now. He’d stepped away from her to stand at the edge of the water, gazing into the distance.

“It’s all gone Astrid.” He felt Astrid come stand beside him. Her fingers twining with his once more.

“The buildings are gone,” Astrid told him frankly. “And the Dragon Eye.”

Hiccup grimaced. “If you’re trying to make me feel better, this isn’t helping,”

“What I’m trying to say, is that the work we’ve done, all the dragons we rescued from the hunters, that’s not going away.” She squeezed Hiccup’s hand tightly in her own. “And we can still do that from Berk.”

Hiccup turned to face Astrid. “You’re right, of course.” He used their linked hands to pull her close. “Thanks Astrid.”

She leant forward, eyes closed. Hiccup followed suit.

There was a sound of a throat being cleared behind them. The two Vikings sprang apart, spinning to look at their friends.

“Um, are you guys going to make out every time you agree on something?” Ruffnut was sitting with her elbow propped up on Barf’s head, her chin resting on her palm, enjoying the show. “Because gross.”

“What do you think they’d do if they ever disagreed on something?” Tuffnut asked his twin.

“Hiccup and Astrid are a team,” Fishlegs piped up. “They work together too well for that.”

Flushing, Hiccup released Astrid’s hand and they swung onto their respective dragons. “Uh, if you guys are ready,” he said, “Let’s go home.”

 ()

“Okay buddy, give me a low flame.”

Toothless opened his mouth, emitting a bright blue glow. The light shone through the device Hiccup held in his hands and splashed up on the wall of his work room. Hiccup propped the object on the stool so he could walk over to the wall and study the patterns that lit the wall.

There were no discernible shapes. No markings. No words. No dragons.

It didn’t work.

“Ugh!” Hiccup picked up the gadget and slammed it down on his desk with a frustrated grunt. “It’s still not working!” He plucked the lens out of his replica Dragon Eye and dropped it down with the others. They glittered on the table, mocking him and his inability to get them to show the images that the destroyed Dragon Eye had been able to produce.

Toothless leaned against his rider. Hiccup had been working non-stop since they had returned to Berk, only taking breaks when Toothless found Astrid or Stoick to come and drag him back to his house.

The dragon’s ears perked up at the sound of someone entering the forge.

There was a cheerful, “Hullo,” from Gobber in the background, then a pause. “Oh yes, ‘e’s bin in there all mornin’.

The sound of footsteps grew louder, until even someone without the Night Fury’s keen sense of hearing could make it out.

Hiccup stooped over his desk, pulling his invention apart.

“Hiccup?” Astrid ducked through the doorway. “Your dad said you left the house before breakfast.” She leant against the desk, watching Hiccup work.

“I needed to get an early start.” Hiccup put the new Dragon Eye back together and replaced the lens. He spun on the stool, and stood, placing it down for Toothless.

“Did you even eat anything?” Astrid asked.

Hiccup didn’t answer. He waited for Toothless to light the Dragon Eye and examined the wall.

Still nothing.

“I take it your whole ‘rebuild the Dragon Eye’ project is not going well.” Astrid picked the device up off the stool to examine it. It lacked the intricate designs of the real Dragon Eye. Hiccup had gone for function over form, though it wasn’t functioning yet.

“It’s not.” Hiccup came to stand beside her. “Despite all the time I had to examine it, I was never really able to work the thing out.” He gestured to his messy desk. “Now we’ve got all these lenses and no way to view them.”

Astrid placed the device down on the desk, turning to cast a scrutinising eye over Hiccup. “Why don’t you take a break?” She asked.

“Astrid-“

She cut him off. “You’ve been working on this non-stop all week. When was the last time you and Toothless went flying?”

The dragon’s ears perked up at the sound of his name and ‘flying’ in the same sentence. A flash of guilt passed over Hiccup’s face. He fiddled with a pencil, twisting it through his fingers rather than respond to the question.

“This isn’t fair to him Hiccup,” Astrid scolded her boyfriend. “He relies on you.”

Hiccup sighed. “I know. I’m sorry. It’s just-“ He dropped the pencil and ran his hand through his hair tiredly. “If I stop moving, I start thinking. About what we lost. About Viggo. About… about the way it ended.”

Astrid stepped forwards and draped her arms around his neck. “That wasn’t your fault,” she told him.

Hiccup let his hands hang loosely by his side. “Wasn’t it?”

“The cliff collapsed.” Astrid shook her head, recalling Viggo Grimborn’s last moments. “No one could have predicted that.”

“I threw the Dragon Eye into the volcano,” Hiccup argued. “He wouldn’t have been standing there if I hadn’t.”

“You did it to save me,” Astrid reminded him.

Hiccup’s shoulders slumped. “No one had to die.”

Finally, Astrid knew the real reason why Hiccup had buried himself in this project. He felt guilty over the deaths of Viggo and Ryker. And Astrid had let him hide away, thinking that the Dragon Eye had been his only concern. She had let him become obsessed with the idea of rebuilding it.

“Come on.” Making up her mind, Astrid dropped her arms from Hiccup’s shoulders. She took his hand and led him from the small room.

“Where are we going?” Hiccup blinked against the bright sunlight after spending so much time in his candlelit workroom.

“I’m not going to let you wallow in your own guilt.” Astrid told him. “It’s time to get out of here.”

“Astrid-“

“No arguments Hiccup. We are going flying.”

Toothless bounded over playfully, happy to be out of the cramped workshop. Stormfly was waiting for Astrid with the other Dragon Riders.

“The Dragon Hunters are gone. I don’t get why we have to keep training,” Snotlout was complaining from atop Hookfang.

“Viggo and Ryker are gone,” Fishlegs reminded him. “The other Hunters could still be around.”

“Yeah, like, what was up with that bounty hunter guy?” Tuffnut asked his sister. “All dark and mysterious under his hood. Hey, maybe I should wear a hood.”

“Yeah,” Ruffnut agreed. “And then we’d never have to look at your ugly face again!”

“Uh, we have the same face dummy-“

“We’re going to keep training,” Astrid cut in over Tuffnut. She and Hiccup climbed on to their dragons and the riders took off. They flew in formation around the island, before turning and heading out to sea. They practised their drills as they flew further and further from Berk.

“Uh Astrid,” Hiccup called out to the blonde rider on his right. “We should turn around if we want to get back to Berk by nightfall.”

Astrid grinned at him. “We’re not going back to Berk tonight.”

Hiccup’s brows knit together in confusion. They were heading in the direction of Dragon’s Edge, but it had only been a week. If the volcano was still erupting they wouldn’t be able to land there. The only other island in this direction was-

 “I sent a Terror mail to Mala and the Defenders of the Wing,” Astrid was saying. “Apparently, the baby Eruptodon has grown quite a bit in the last week.”

They flew on in silence, listening to the playful squabbling of Snotlout and the twins.

Hours later they landed in the village square.

Mala greeted the riders. “Hiccup, Astrid I heard about your island and for that I am truly sorry.” She stood from her throne and stepped towards them.

“Thanks Mala. We’re just glad the baby Eruptodon is okay.” Hiccup climbed down from Toothless.

“Not only that, but it seems some of your dragons have made a new home for themselves here” Mala gestured towards the large dragon that had risen from the tree line. As it grew closer, Tuffnut was the first to realise it was actually a _group_ of dragons.

“Smidvarg!” Tuffnut ran forward to greet the dragons as they their leader landed.

“They should be on the Edge, it was their home,” Hiccup reminded the group.

“Hiccup, why are you being such a buzzkill?” Snotlout demanded.

Mala stepped forward to relieve the tension of the group. “They will return to their island, fear not Hiccup Haddock. Remember how the Great Protector’s egg was hatched in the volcano’s fire?” She nodded towards the baby dragon playing with Meatlug. “Fire brings new life, Hiccup Haddock, and given time your island will recover.”

Later, when the rest of the group had made camp and gone to bed, Hiccup sat by Astrid on the beach.

“Thank you for today. I needed that.”

“I know.” Astrid gazed out at the bright sea. The moon hung low over the ocean, its light reflecting out over the waves. She turned to look at Hiccup. Even in the dark she could make out his grim expression. “Do you remember what you told me? Back on Dragon’s Edge?” She asked.

Hiccup shook his head.

“You made me promise that I wouldn’t stop telling you what I’m thinking.” Astrid reminded him. “Well, that goes both ways Hiccup. I rely on you too. It’s what makes us, us, remember?” She bumped her shoulder against his.

“I remember.” Hiccup put his arm around Astrid. “And I promise.”

()

Astrid marched through the woods looking for the Chief of Berk.

Despite his words on the beach, Hiccup had gone right back to his workroom the moment the group had returned from visiting Mala and the Defenders of the Wing. The first two days he had only spent an hour or so, tinkering with the blasted device, but Hiccup had already broken his promise to talk to Astrid about what was going through his head. Each day he had withdrawn more and more into himself, eating and sleeping less as he obsessed over this replacement Dragon Eye.

Astrid had tried everything, but she needed help. Hiccup had stopped coming out on training runs. He’d stopped agreeing to meet up with her away from the prying eyes of the village. Astrid was sure he was deliberately trying to avoid her.

Ahead she spotted Stoick. He had his back to the girl, a large axe in his hands. She called out.

“Chief, can I talk to you?”

Stoick turned from his task, giving Astrid his full attention. He’d watched her friendship with Hiccup grow over the last four years. Stoick liked the girl, she was good for the boy. She was smart and strong and level headed and he knew she had Hiccup’s best interests at heart.

“Of course lass, what’s wrong?” He asked. He took a seat on the log he’d just felled.

It took Astrid a moment to speak. “I’m worried about Hiccup.”

“Ah, you’ve noticed it too?” Stoick patted the log beside him, inviting Astrid to sit.

“You’d have to be blind not to.” Astrid took a seat. “He’s been acting weird since we got back from Dragon’s Edge. I’ve tried distracting him-“

Stoick smirked.

“I-I mean. I’ve found things for him to do, training runs.” Astrid blushed and stumbled on. “B-but- there’s only so much I can do.”

“You want my help?” Stoick mulled it over. Hiccup had holed himself up in the forge since the Dragon Riders had returned from Dragon’s Edge. It wasn’t healthy for him to obsess over this project. He wouldn’t even tell his father what he was working, keeping to himself and mumbling excuses about being tired on the rare occasions he actually came home.

Astrid nodded. “Before we left for the outpost, you wanted him to get more involved with the running of the village.” She grinned. “He used to complain about it all the time.”

 “So you think I should start giving him more responsibilities around here?” Stoick raised a bushy eyebrow. “Normally, it’s the Chief who gives the advice.” He let out a bark of laughter at Astrid’s face. “Oh, I’m just joking lass. It’s a good idea.”

 “He needs something to think about other than the Dragon Eye and the volcano and he needs to stay busy, at least until he gets through this.” Astrid stood from the log. “Thanks Chief.”

“You’re a good lass. He’s lucky to have you.” He chuckled at Astrid’s blushing face as he waved her off.

()

The plan was working.

That afternoon, after Astrid had gone to see him, Stoick had stormed into Hiccup’s workroom and insisted it was time for his son to resume his chiefly education.

Hiccup had grumbled and complained, but had put down his tools and followed his father outside. Together they had walked the village, listening to the concerns of the villagers, noting repairs that needed to be made before winter. After a week, Hiccup had even started making his own suggestions, ideas to help with the everyday running of the village. He seemed to be completely immersed in his new role, cheerfully greeting his people each morning, which was why Astrid was completely perplexed when she found Hiccup sitting behind his house one day, tearing at the grass and muttering angrily to himself.

“Everything okay?” She asked cautiously.

“It’s my dad,” Hiccup complained. He patted the ground, beckoning Astrid to sit beside him. “He’s just- ugh! So frustrating!”

“I’m sorry.” Astrid tucked her skirt around her knees as she sat. “You’re going to have to catch me up. What has he done?”

“It’s not one specific thing,” Hiccup explained. “It’s- I’m not ready to learn how to run the village. Look at what happened at the outpost. Look how well _that_ went.  I don’t want to be a leader. I can’t do this!”

“But isn’t that the whole point of learning?” Astrid asked.

“Maybe, but right now… I feel like there are better uses for my time.” Hiccup resumed his task of picking at the blades of grass, shredding each one into little pieces.

“You mean sitting in the dark, in your forge, obsessing over the Dragon Eye.” Astrid tried to keep her tone light.

“Obsessing?” Hiccup gave a dark laugh. “Thanks Astrid.”

Astrid’s voice was tinged with concern. “Hiccup, we were worried about you. You were spending all your time in that cramped room, you were _ignoring_ Toothless,” she gestured to the dragon dozing in the sun.

“What? So all of this was just a… a distraction?”

Astrid sighed. “Yes and no.”

“Which one was it?” Hiccup’s voice was raised in irritation.

“It was both Hiccup!” Astrid’s tone changed to match her boyfriend’s. “You promised you’d talk to me but you keep pushing me away. You pushed your father away, you pushed Toothless away. Why are you so angry about this? Your Dad just wants to help you.”

 “I’m angry because he’s wasting my time!” Hiccup complained.

“He’s teaching you how to run the village. You’re going to need to know this!” Astrid argued. “How is that wasting your time?”

Hiccup pushed up onto his feet, pacing across the little patch of grass behind the hut.

“I should be working on the Dragon Eye.”

“The Dragon Eye is gone Hiccup!” Astrid stood too, moving to get in front of Hiccup, to stop him from turning away from her. “Viggo is gone! And you were beating yourself up about it.”

“Because it was my fault!” Hiccup cried. “It’s my fault! Someone _died_!”

“He was a bad person.” Astrid let her voice drop. “He tried to hurt the dragons. He tried to hurt us! Many times!”

“You’re supposed to be on my side!”

“I am on your side!”

They were both yelling now.

“Then why are you siding with my Dad over this whole ‘running the village thing?” Hiccup asked, changing the subject away from Viggo and the Dragon Eye, but Astrid would have none of it.

“Because your Dad is right Hiccup,” she countered. “Your obsession over rebuilding the Dragon Eye isn’t healthy.”

“Yeah well going behind my back isn’t going to help things, is it?”

Astrid opened her mouth to argue but the words died on her tongue. She was so angry at Hiccup, at his attempts to push her away, at the way he was treating the people around him.

“You know what?” She said. “Screw you Hiccup Haddock! I care about you but you’re not even trying!”

“Yeah, well, screw you too!” Hiccup turned to Toothless. “Come on bud, let’s get out of here.” The Night Fury stood, stretching out his muscles as his rider stomped over.

“Running away won’t solve your problems Hiccup,” Astrid called over to him.

“Not all of them,” Hiccup agreed. “But it’ll solve at least one of them.” He climbed onto the saddle, leaving Astrid speechless with anger behind him. Clicking his foot into the stirrup, Hiccup urged Toothless into the air and away from the village.

They didn’t fly far.

Hiccup was already regretting his words and the temptation to turn back was strong. But his blood was still boiling from the argument and he was afraid of what he might say if he returned. Hiccup could apologise to Astrid later, when they had both had a chance to cool down.

Hiccup directed Toothless to land. They had only flown as far as the end of the island.

“I really blew it today bud.” Hiccup climbed down from the Night Fury. The dragon glared at his rider. “Yeah, I know. I shouldn’t have said those things.” Hiccup laid his hand on Toothless’s back. “Astrid was right, they were trying to help. It’s not that easy though. I can’t just forget about what happened.”

He sat down at the edge of the water. Toothless stretched out beside him.

“Maybe we should get away for a few days.” Hiccup stared out to sea as he spoke. “I’m sure you could use the chance to stretch your wings. I can clear my head. I can apologise to Astrid when I get back.”

Toothless warbled.

“Come on, Toothless, it’ll be just like old times.” Hiccup lay back on the grass, resting his head on his hands. “I’m not ready to go back yet,” he admitted. “And we’ll only be gone for a day or two. How’s that sound?”

The dragon made another noise that Hiccup decided to take as agreement. “We’ll sneak back tonight and pack a couple of things. And I’ll leave a note.” Hiccup glanced across at Toothless. “We could head west this time, see what we find. How’s that sound?”

They relaxed in the weak sunlight, waiting until dark. Under the cover of night, they returned to Berk to collect some provisions and to leave a note saying they’d be back in a few days and before anyone noticed their presence, they were gone.

 

 


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! So I'm thinking I'm going to update this every Sunday, simply because I usually have weekends off and I can do some last minute editing if I need to. The next chapters will probably be a bit shorter than chapter one. I really wanted to get into it in that first chapter.
> 
> Anyway, here is chapter two. Hope you guys like it!

CHAPTER TWO

Eyes widened in disbelief as the stranger spotted the familiar shaggy auburn head. His eyes narrowed in cold calculation as an idea began to form in his mind.

Call it luck, call it providence, but what were the chances that he would be here, heading east, and the very person he was looking for would come right to him? This was it. This was his opportunity to strike back and regain everything that had been lost.

The stranger pushed back his chair, throwing a few coins on to the table. He had a number of preparations to make.

Hiccup Haddock was going to regret setting foot on this island.

()

"Hey bud, you hungry?" The oblivious boy walked through the trees, waving the fish he was holding in his hand. Toothless bounded over excitedly, sniffing at the fishy offering and devouring the meal in a few quick bites.

Hiccup wiped his slimy hand on his trousers, grimacing at the way the sticky Night Fury saliva clung to his fingers. In his other hand, he held another package. The dragon eyed the cloth-wrapped parcel hungrily, but Hiccup held it out of reach.

"This one's for me," he told Toothless, placing the package down with the rest of his belongings.

The pair had ended up flying much farther than they had planned, jumping from island to island and charting many new territories. They had not seen many dragons on their journey west, particularly after the first day of flying. As far as Hiccup could tell, there were no dragons on the island they were currently camping on.

There was a bustling Viking village nearby. Hiccup hoped that these people didn't see dragons the way Berk once had; as dangerous monsters that needed to be killed. Wary, he had encouraged Toothless to remain hidden while he had ventured down to the town.

As curious as Hiccup was to discover the reason for the island's lack of dragons, he realised that it was past time to head home. He figured it would take them approximately two days to get back to Berk, one if they flew without breaks. He'd been gone longer than planned but the time away had done wonders and Hiccup felt like he was finally coming to grips with what had happened at Dragon's Edge. Either way, he knew he could not change the past, only learn from it. It had been a hard lesson.

"That's all I could carry," Hiccup told Toothless apologetically. "Once we get off this island, you won't have to hide," he promised. "You can go fishing and get a proper meal."

He sat, rifling through his saddlebags packing away the food he had purchased.

"It's weird," Hiccup told Toothless as he worked. "We haven't seen any dragons in days. What do you think could have happened to them?" He looked up at his dragon.

It could have been nothing. Hiccup had read accounts written by his ancestors, claiming that outside the archipelago, the islands were unaffected by the dragon scourge. Maybe those tales had some truth to them.

The forest was quiet. A gentle breeze rustled through the canopy. Soft leaves crunched under a foot. A bird whistled in the distance.

Wait.

Hiccup listened again.

Maybe he had imagined the sound. A quick glance at Toothless told him otherwise.

The dragon had his teeth extended, lips pulled back in a growl. His ears flaps were flat against his head. Hiccup raised a finger to his lips and drew his sword.

"Stay here," he whispered. "I'll go check it out."

The Night Fury shook his head, the soft glow of his plasma radiated from his mouth.

"Toothless, if the villagers don't like dragon's you could get hurt." Hiccup stood slowly. The Dragon Blade was strapped to his leg. He retrieved the blade from its holster, holding the sword loosely. He glanced backwards towards the Night Fury, a finger to his lips. "Stay hidden."

He crept through the thick brush, his sword by this side. Hiccup did not want to appear threatening if it was just some innocent Viking making their way home through the woods.

Through the trees he could make out a figure, standing motionless and shrouded in the shadows of the setting sun.

"Hello?" Hiccup called out as he neared the mysterious person. "Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you." He squinted through the dying light. The person in before him was wearing a hood and cape. Their face was completely hidden.

There was the deep rumble of a laugh.

"Hiccup, you're smarter than this."

The voice sent a cold shiver down Hiccup's spine. He stopped still, praying the any God who would listen that he was simply having an extremely vivid hallucination.

It wasn't possible. There was no way this could be happening.

"Talking to strangers in the woods, none of your friends around you. Not the most intelligent thing you've done."

"Viggo." Now Hiccup raised his sword, eyes narrowed.

The older man laughed and threw back his hood.

"How did you do it?" Hiccup asked, fear and surprise coloured his words, though he tried to keep his voice steady. "We saw you die."

"Oh tut tut Hiccup," Viggo Grimborn smiled threateningly. "You know better than to jump to conclusions." He took a step forward, the dried leaves crunched under his feet, echoing loudly in the empty forest. "You saw me fall. You assumed that I died." A mock look of disappointment crossed his face. "I'd hoped you'd be better than that, but I honestly expected no different. Despite our games Hiccup, you were _so_ predictable."

Hiccup scowled. His feet moved without conscious thought, taking him closer to the dangerous man. "Games? This was never a game! You were playing with people's lives!"

There was a thud and a crash as Toothless came bursting through the trees. Viggo whipped his arms out from under his cloak, revealing a bow and arrow. In one smooth movement, the bow was raised, string drawn taught.

Hiccup stared in shock, unable to react in time. With a twang the string was released and the arrow was shot into the air.

"Toothless! Look out!"

The Night Fury was much faster than his rider, but the attack had been unexpected. The dragon dodged but the arrow caught his left paw. He stumbled, feeling the effects of the Dragon Root immediately.

"Toothless!"

Hiccup turned and ran for his dragon, scattering leaf litter in his haste. Dropping the sword, he bent and snatched at the arrow, pulling it from the Night Fury's flesh. He threw the arrow to the ground. The Night Fury roared in pain, disorientated from the drug.

"That's enough! This ends now!" Hiccup turned, fumbling to recover the sword, half buried at his feet. He rose, sword in hand. There was a soft sound – pft – like a puff of air and a sharp prick in his shoulder.

"Yes, yes it does."

Hiccup's fingers closed around the dart, yanking it from his shoulder. He stared at it in confusion, the image blurring in front of him. The small projectile slipped from numb fingers as the Viking fell to his knees.

With doubled vision, he saw Viggo walking towards him, shedding his cloak. The wrap seemed to fall in slow motion and settle among the leaves.

"Hmm," the older man casually knelt to retrieve the dart. "This should have knocked you out by now." His voice was muffled, like listening to someone speak underwater.

Viggo shrugged. "Oh well."

There was a sharp blow to Hiccup's head, and then there was nothing.

()

It was too dark. Or was it too bright? There were noises? No, it was quiet. No sounds could penetrate the thick fog in his mind. The feeling of rough bark against his chin. A sharp pain in his paw.

Hiccup? Where was Hiccup?

The bad man had taken him.

Toothless growled.

He had to find Hiccup.

First, he had to stand. No. First he had to open his eyes.

Trees swam into focus around him. The sharp metallic tang of blood clogged his nose. The dragon pushed himself to shaky feet.

Pain.

He wobbled on his feet.

One step.

_Pain._

He falls, vision dimming. The edges are fuzzy. He needs to find his Hiccup.

_No._


	3. Chapter Three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoop! Here have another chapter!!

 

The first thing Hiccup was aware of was the pounding in his head. It radiated out from a spot behind his left ear and seemed to radiate all the way down to his toes.

The next thing he noticed was the rocking. The hard, wooden floor beneath him swayed, sending his stomach roiling. Swallowing convulsively, Hiccup rolled, realising his hands were tied together. He managed to shift onto his hands and knees just in time to cough the contents of his stomach up onto the floor.

He rested his head against his forearm, eyes scrunched shut and fought against another round on heaving.

Footsteps echoed loudly through the room. Hiccup cracked an eye open, desperately trying to get his bearings. There was a single torch on the wall, spluttering weakly. Hiccup squinted, trying to make out the figure at the end of the room.

His last memory was of Viggo in the forest. Had that been real or a dream? The silhouette on the other side of the room didn’t match Viggo’s build. Maybe Hiccup had imagined the whole thing.

He was beginning to get his bearings. He was on a boat, that much was certain, but where was Toothless? And why were his hands tied together?

The stranger was approaching; his footsteps were a heavy _thud thud thud_ across the floor.

Hiccup scrabbled backwards, his back hitting the wall. The figure before him blocked out all the light from the torch. Hiccup ducked down into a ball, trying to make himself small in the corner. The stranger grabbed his hair, yanking Hiccup’s head up painfully. Something was pressed over his face. A cloth? It was wet. He struggled against the sickly-sweet scent that invaded his senses. His eyelids were lead weights. Hiccup fought to keep them open, but it was a losing battle. Sleep clawed at him dragging him down.

Down.

_Down._

When Hiccup woke again the throbbing in his head had lessened. He shifted and quickly discovered the nausea was still well and truly present. His dry mouth was suddenly filling with saliva and he gagged weakly, rolling onto his side just in time to avoid choking on his own vomit.

Before he could even open his eyes, he heard the footsteps and the cloth was once again held over his nose and mouth.

“No,” he whined as its thick, cloying scent dragged him back down into an uneasy slumber.

***

“Anything?” Stoick paced anxiously in front of the fire, waiting for Astrid’s report.

“No, not yet,” Astrid sat down on one of the stools by the large table. “But we’re still waiting on a Terror mail from Heather and Dagur, and Fishlegs should be back soon too. Maybe-“ Astrid looked down at her hands. “Maybe Hiccup still needs more time.”

Stoick shook his head. “The note said he’d be gone a few days. It’s been a week Astrid.”

“Yeah, but it’s Hiccup,” Astrid reminded the Chief. Maybe she was looking at this the wrong way. Maybe Hiccup had gotten over his little tantrum but something else, a new island or a new dragon had caught his attention. She pointed this out to Stoick.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Stoick agreed, but he seemed to hesitate on the words.

Astrid could understand why. In the past, Hiccup had always at least remembered to send word back to them, so that they wouldn’t worry. Astrid clamped down on that thought and willed it away.

Stoick’s thoughts were in the same place. “Why hasn’t he sent one of those terrors? You don’t suppose he’s still angry, do you?”

Guilt flooded, unbidden through Astrid. No one had seen Hiccup since their argument. He’d been in a bad place. She had known that. That was the whole motive for getting Stoick involved in the first place. She’d simply been trying to distract him from his own pain and guilt. But that hadn’t worked. Astrid had pushed Hiccup, she knew he wasn’t like the other Vikings, he was… sensitive, that’s what she liked about him. Still she had pushed him to anger and had kept pushing, until he had exploded and taken off. He had left on Toothless with just a short note to his father; _need time to clear my head. I’ll be back in a few days, Hiccup._

After four days, concern had begun to gnaw at Astrid’s stomach.

After five days, she couldn’t concentrate on anything. She’d almost hit Snotlout with her axe after failing to notice he’d followed her to the training ring. He’d complained loudly to anyone who would listen for the rest of the day.

After six days, Astrid had sent a letter to Heather, asking if Hiccup was with the Berserkers. Snotlout and the twins were sent to Outcast Island, Fishlegs went to see Mala and the Defenders of the Wing. Astrid herself had taken a trip to their old outpost. She hadn’t been able to get too close, the ash was still too thick in the air. She’d decided that even Hiccup wasn’t stupid enough to risk his health by landing on the inhospitable island.

With all the dragon riders scattered across the Barbaric Archipelago, one thing had become clear; no one had seen Hiccup.

“Hiccup’s always been a pacifist,” Astrid reminded his father. “But after what happened on the Edge… He was so shaken up. I’ve never seen him like that before.” Her shoulders slumped. “Maybe we- maybe I pushed him too far.”

“You can’t go blaming yourself lass.” Stoick paused his pacing to console the girl. “My boy has always had a bit of a flair for the dramatic. Gets it from is mum I suspect. I’m sure we’re both just over reacting. He’s fine and he’ll be back soon.”

Astrid nodded slowly. “I hope so,” she said softly.

***

The forest was quiet.

In the distance, he could hear the gentle sound of waves lapping the shore.

As he became more aware of what was happening around him, he could feel the faint throbbing of his paw and the loud rumble of his stomach.

Toothless rose carefully. The pain and confusion of the past few days was gone, replaced with hunger, and fear for Hiccup.

The Night Fury sniffed cautiously at the ground. There was an arrow lying in the dirt beside him. On it there was a mix of scents. Various forest animals had ventured close while the dragon lay sleeping, obscuring the smell of his rider, but Toothless could still pick up faint traces of Hiccup.

His saddle felt loose and uncomfortable, dragging against his scales in sensitive places. Toothless twisted to inspect the rigging, noticing that the leather had been cut in several places. With the help of a sturdy tree, Toothless was able to shrug out of the useless flying harness and dump the mess of metal and leather on the ground.

The dragon inhaled deeply, picking up traces of Hiccup and traces of the man who had taken Hiccup. He searched the forest, following the scent. It was indistinct in places, and Toothless was not a tracker class dragon. The trail was several days old, and he lost it twice.

The scent got stronger right on the edge of the trees. It was leading Toothless straight towards a clump of bushes. The dragon rushed forwards, eager to reunite with his friend. He dove into the shrubbery and nosed through the leaves.

He paused, head cocked, nostrils flaring. The trail continued past the bushes and out into the open.

Toothless pawed through the leaves again, uncovering Hiccup’s metal foot. The boy was not here.

He stepped out of the cover of the trees for a moment. Most likely the track would head towards the village where Hiccup’s scent could be mixed with the scents of many others, making him harder to find.

Toothless hesitated at the tree line. Hiccup had warned him to stay hidden.

He snorted, shaking his head at the thought.

He was a Night Fury! He feared no Viking! But without a tail he was slow and vulnerable to attack. He would have to wait until dark, until he could blend in with his surroundings and sneak into the Viking town.

The dragon backed up into the trees and sat, waiting for night to fall.

The wait was agonising. Though they were intelligent creatures, dragons had no real concept of time. Toothless paced back and forth just within the boundary of the forest as the sun began its slow decent towards the horizon.

As soon as it was dark enough, Toothless took off towards the village.

He quickly learnt that the town was much larger than Berk, but it still had many dark corners to hide in.

The Night Fury lurked on the outskirts of town until just before dawn. It was a tactic the dragons had used when they had raided villages for food. The occupants were much more likely to be in bed at that hour.

Toothless ducked through town, heading towards the water. Vikings who did not have dragons used boats to travel from one island to another. That was likely where Hiccup had been taken.

As he neared the docks, Toothless caught another scent. Not Hiccup’s. Nor did it belong to the evil man who had taken him. But this new scent was just as familiar. Toothless followed it to one of the ships, he had to step out in the open to dash across the wharf and onto the boat. Cautiously, the Night Fury pushed at the wooden door that led below deck.

It creaked open.

The dragon froze.

Soft, even breathing filled the space.

Silently Toothless crept across the floor towards the bed.

He did know this man!

He shoved the sleeping figure with his paw. The man woke up with a shriek, clutching his blankets to his chest at the sight of the large dragon leaning over him.

“No! Oh Thor!” He scrambled away, then recognition set in.

“Toothless?” The man scratched his beard. “My, but where is Master Hiccup?” He glanced around the room, slowly coming to the realisation that the dragon was alone. He turned back to Toothless. “You _are_ a long way from home.”

Toothless grumbled, trying to convey to this human that his rider was gone. That they needed to find him. He flapped his tail over the bed, revealing the missing fin and placed his injured paw on the man’s chest, the arrow wound still healing.

The trader’s expression fell.

“Oh no.”

 


	4. Chapter Four

Hiccup was so disoriented.

Every time he woke, the stranger was there with that foul-smelling potion sending him right back to sleep.

He had no idea how long he had been on the boat for. It could have been hours, it could have been days. He had no recollection of eating or drinking since first waking up on the ship. His throat was constantly dry and he had little appetite and he wondered if that was one of the side effects of the drug. The nausea definitely was, or was it seasickness? Hiccup’s mind was so disjointed he couldn’t hold a string of thoughts together long enough to work it out.

Every time he woke he shifted, setting off another bout of retching and alerting his guard to his consciousness. He needed to stay still long enough to surface completely and figure out where he was.

He willed the queasy feeling away with slow even breaths. _In through the nose. Out through the mouth. In through the nose._ As he breathed, he listened for any sign of movement within the cabin.

There was nothing.

Slowly Hiccup opened one eye. Orange sunlight filtered in through the cracks in the walls but the cabin was still fairly dim. It was also empty of any other people. There were a few crates and some sacks sitting beside him, blocking his view of the door and blocking him from anyone who might wander below deck. He couldn’t remember if those crates had been there before. He couldn’t remember anything.

Hiccup let his eyes shut for a moment, the small movements had made him dizzy. He could feel the boat bobbing gently beneath him – the water was calm. There was the soft thud of footsteps on the deck above him. Voices - muffled by the timber - drifted down, the words indiscernible. Every few moments, in time with the bobbing of the boat, Hiccup could hear a soft thump and scrape.

In a moment of absolute clarity, both of Hiccup’s eyes flung open.

They were tied up at a dock!

He sat up, ignoring the spinning in his head.

This was it. His chance to escape.

Hiccup took stock of his situation. His hands were tied together, but he was relatively free to move about. He hadn’t been tied down to anything. His headache was a dull throb, easy to ignore. His feet…

His prosthetic foot was gone.

That made things difficult. He wasn’t going to be able to run far. He huffed out a humourless laugh at that. He wasn’t going to be able to run at all.

Hiccup’s last concrete memory was of being with Toothless in the forest. Where was his Night Fury now? Hiccup desperately hoped his dragon was okay. If he could find Toothless they could escape together. Flying was probably out. Maybe they could swim? Toothless was a much faster and stronger swimmer than Hiccup. He could get them out of there.

Hiccup listened carefully for sounds on the deck above him. He could make out two distinct voices, neither of them sounded like Viggo Grimborn. In the back of his mind he still wondered if Viggo had even been there at all or if he’d imagined the whole thing.

Hiccup shook the thoughts away. His attention needed to be solely on finding Toothless and escaping.

He shifted onto his hands and knees, deciding that crawling across the floor would be quieter than hopping. The boards were rough on his hands. If it wasn’t for the tough callouses that covered his palms from years of working in the forge, Hiccup was sure his fingers would be full of splinters.

His first task was to climb over the crates hiding him from view of the doorway. Hiccup pulled himself to his single foot slowly, peeking out over the top in case there was someone in the room with him.

The coast was clear.

Hiccup sat on the crate, swinging his legs over onto the other side. The movement sent the room spinning lazily. With a steadying breath Hiccup slipped back down onto all fours and crept silently towards the door.

There were three steep steps leading out of the room. Hiccup sat on the top step with his ear pressed to the door. As far as he could tell there was no one standing right outside. He gave the door an experimental push.

There were no shouts, no cry of alarm. Nothing.

Hiccup looked out through the gap.

The ship was bathed in the glow of the setting sun. That was good. It would be dark soon, making it easier to hide in the shadows. It also meant people could soon be returning to the boat for the night.

Looking out over the deck one thing was painfully obvious.

There was no Toothless.

Judging from the size of the boat, Hiccup was in the only below deck space. There was nowhere on board to hide his almost thirty-foot long dragon. Toothless wasn’t here.

Was there another boat?

Hiccup’s heart sunk. He didn’t have time to search. If he was going to do this, he needed to do it now. Once he got to shore he could plan his search for his dragon.

The railing was _so close_.

With a quick shuffle, he was over the side.

Gods, the water was cold! The bite of the ocean made him suck in an icy breath that was mostly salt water. He fought to stay quiet and stifle the spluttering that would give him away. Hiccup clenched his teeth against the shivers wracking his body. His fingers were already beginning to go numb as he clung to the side of the boat.

The shadows were deepening across the water.

Hiccup edged towards the front of the ship and peered around the bow. If he could get to the dock he could hide among the rocks that jutted out into the water underneath. He wouldn’t even need to swim, he could pull himself along all the way to the headland, find a beach somewhere or a cave to hide in, and then…? He’d figure it out when he got there.

Hiccup’s right leg was incredibly heavy in the water. His boot had become waterlogged, making his movements even more difficult. He managed to bring his leg up and tug the burdensome footwear off.

The gently lapping of the waves against the wooden beams of the dock covered the sounds of Hiccup’s splashing as he swam under the jetty. He paddled all the way under to where wood met rock. Here it was darkest and he had something to cling to.

Something sharp bit in to Hiccup’s hand. The rocks were covered in oyster shells.

He braced his knees against the rocks, trying to hold himself in place as he rubbed the rope over the sharp edges of the shells. He slipped, not having enough purchase to stay on the rock, with a loud splash.

Hiccup waited, his breath held in case someone had heard the noise, then started again. After several minutes of sawing at the rope, he felt it give. With one final tug, Hiccup broke free. He tucked the rope into a crack in the rocks so it wouldn’t float away.

Step one complete.

He still needed to get away from the boat before anyone discovered him missing. He had no doubt that they would search the surrounding water. He needed to be long gone.

The wooden decking of the pier hugged the coast for several yards. Hiccup pulled himself along undercover until he reached the edge. There were a few small rowboats tied to mooring buoys that he could maybe use for cover if needed, but they were too far from the rocks and Hiccup wasn’t sure he trusted his one-legged swimming abilities.

The sun had set behind the town now, so Hiccup had the advantage of longer shadows against the base of the cliff. He sat in the water for a few more breaths. He needed to go _now_.

Hand over hand, he pulled himself along. The was the quietest way to move. Swimming full strokes would mean splashing which would only draw attention to himself. It was hard going. His muscles ached already from cold and disuse, the cut on his hand stung fiercely from the cold water.

On the plus side the chilly dip had eliminated the last traces of the drug from his mind and he finally felt awake.

The current buoyed him along, further and further away from the boat he had woken on. Hiccup was so close to the end of the headland. He pushed himself to go faster. _Faster._

“Where is he!” The sound carried over the waves.

Hiccup froze.

 “You absolute fools! You were supposed to keep him asleep until we got there!” There was a splash. Someone had tumbled overboard.

Hiccup hadn’t imagined Viggo at all! He couldn’t afford to turn and look at the boat he had to keep going. He started moving again. He was almost there.

“Search the island! He can’t have gone far; he only has one leg!”

Hiccup slipped around the headland. The current was much stronger here. The cliffs protected the bay from the more ferocious tides.

He no longer had much control over where he went, using all his energy to keep from smashing into the rocks.

A wave crashed over him, sucking Hiccup down under the water. He was tossed around in the surf, unsure of what was up or down. He managed to surface long enough to gulp down a breath of salty air before the next wave crashed down on him.

He was going to die if he couldn’t get out of the water.

Hiccup needed to aim for the rocks. Somehow he needed to time it so that he reached the rocky shore between breaking waves, otherwise he was sure he would be smashed to pieces.

It was going to be difficult. The headland loomed out of the darkness. A black mass of jagged rocks and swirling water. The moon was only just beginning to rise, its light glinting off wet surfaces.

Hiccup had never been a particularly strong swimmer and though the surf wasn’t particularly powerful, the ocean could be unpredictable. Every so often a wave would come through, bigger than the others to toss him around. Hiccup would have to time it to hit the shore on one of the smaller breaks.

His arms felt like lead as he treaded water, waiting for the right moment. He felt the water surge and he paddled hard. He didn’t quite want the wave to pick him up and carry him to shore. He wanted to get there between it and the next set of breakers and avoid being pulverised.

His hands brushed the seaweed growing around the rocks. The wave broke. Water rushed back out to sea. Hiccup was pulled backwards. Slimy weed slipped through his fingers as he desperately tried to hang on.

Hiccup kicked hard. His right foot struck something solid underwater. Another wave was rushing towards him. The swell picked him up, dragging him across the rocks.

The water sucked back out again. Hiccup clung to the rocks against the pull of the tide, his fingers dug into the cracks and the crevices looking for anything that would give him purchase on the smooth-worn surface.

The sea released its grip on his body as the water rushed out away from the shore. Hiccup knew this meant another wave was coming. He didn’t have time to glance behind at the ocean. He scrambled up over the rocks in a half crawl, ignoring the aches from the bruises he’d gained in the ocean. The only thought on his mind was to _go go go!_

Hiccup clambered up onto a platform, eroded flat by millennia of wind and rain.

The ocean roared behind him, as the waves pounded the coast. It was a thunderous sound, like the water was screaming its fury over having lost its prey.

Energy spent, Hiccup lay on his back gasping for breath. He could feel the salty spray from the breakers, but he was far enough away that the waves couldn’t reach him. His whole body hurt. Hiccup decided that if he over got home to Berk he was never going swimming again.

 “You know Hiccup, for a moment there, I wasn’t sure you would make it.”

Hiccup’s eyes sprung open.


	5. Chapter Five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't sure if I was going to update this on time. Recently my motivation for writing has been in this downward spiral, and even though this chapter only needed some minor editing, I just struggled with it. Fortunately this morning seemed to be better so I got it done! Hooray!
> 
> Thank you everyone for your reviews. Knowing that people actually want to read this does help and makes me so happy!
> 
> This chapter gets a bit dark towards the end. Don't want to be too spoiler-y but yeah. Dark. Pain. Blood. All that gory stuff. Haha. Enjo

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks of searching and waiting and pacing out the front of Stormfly’s stables. No one in the whole archipelago had seen or heard from Hiccup.

Astrid was going crazy with worry. He flew a Night Fury for Thor’s sake! Toothless was not an inconspicuous dragon, he was one of a kind! If they had touched down on any island with a Viking population, they _would_ have been noticed.

Stormfly crooned at her rider, picking up on the girl’s anxiety and crouching to run her beak-like snout through Astrid’s hair.

“Thanks girl,” Astrid reached up to stroke her dragon’s smooth scales. “I don’t like that there’s nothing I can do, but sit and wait,” she explained. “That’s not who I am. There’s this whole world out there and Hiccup could be anywhere! We have no leads. No direction. Nothing!”

“Astrid!”

The girl spun at the sound of her name. Fishlegs staggered into the yard behind the Hofferson’s house. With heaving breaths and his hands braced against his knees, the large Viking gasped for breath.

“Astrid! You need-“ The large boy paused to gasp. “-to get down to-“ A wheezing exhale “-the docks. Now!” Fishlegs doubled back over to catch his breath.

Astrid’s eyes widened, her gaze flicking from the winded Viking to the docks, beyond view on the other side of the village. Without a word, she took off running.

Stormfly was faster, catching up and crouching by her rider. Astrid jumped and was quickly astride her dragon.

They raced towards the water.

This was it. He was home. Finally! Gods, Astrid wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or furious at him for scaring her like this.

Relief won as she spotted the ship tied up at the dock. She’d tell him off later, after she’d seen him and touched him and reassured herself that he was okay.

“Hiccup!” Astrid flung herself from Stormfly.

A black mass of scale and muscle slammed into her, sending her sprawling. Slimy dragon tongue bathed her face as the Night Fury danced around her.

“Toothless!” Astrid sat up laughing, using her hands to try and keep the happy licks away. The dragon stopped and sat. His whole demeanour changed in an instant. Now that he had returned to Berk and found Hiccup’s friends, they needed to go and get him back.

Astrid noticed the change. She was also keenly aware that Hiccup had yet to reveal himself.

“Toothless? Where’s Hiccup.”

 “I’m afraid I don’t know where Master Hiccup is.”

Peering around Toothless, Astrid recognised the boat and the man it carried.

“Trader Johann? Where- Where did you find him?” She lay a shaking hand on Toothless’s neck, examining the dragon for signs of injury. At first glance he seemed okay, but his flying harness was gone, and his prosthetic tail fin flapped uselessly beside the real one.

“I found him on an island about a week’s journeying from here,” Johann explained. “Oh and what a strange and perilous journey it was.”

Astrid stormed up to the man, accustomed to his garrulous tangents and extravagant stories. “Get to the point.” She demanded.

“Toothless here was alone when he chanced upon my boat and he was most insistent we return to Berk.” The trader wrung his hat in his hands, nervous of the expression on Astrid’s face.

“Where?” Astrid asked.

“Oh, it was this little place to the west. I go there occasionally when the trade winds are kind. You see they make a particularly good- “

Astrid interrupted him before he could go too off topic. “Can you show me on a map?”

Trader Johann faltered, mouth snapping shut. He rushed back onto his boat.

“Are you okay?” Astrid took the opportunity to turn back to Toothless. She knelt to examine the newly healed wound on his paw. “Were you attacked? What happened?” The dragon shook his head and whined.

“Where is he? Where is my son?” Stoick stormed down towards the docks, through the crowd that had gathered to watch the commotion. “Astrid?”

“He’s not here sir.” Astrid stood to speak with the Chief, not missing the sag of the man’s shoulders as she told him his son was still missing. The motion was minute. With the whole village watching, Stoick had to keep himself together.

Trader Johann returned with a map. Astrid held out her hand for it, taking the parchment and spreading it over a bench where the fisherman repaired their tools.

“The island is here,” Trader Johann pointed out the small dot on the map. “As I said, about a week’s sailing from here.”

“So about a full day by dragon?” Stoick asked Astrid.

She nodded in confirmation. “Maybe a day and a half.” She checked the coordinates again. It was a small island, maybe smaller than Berk, just outside of the archipelago. She thought they’d checked everywhere, but it was possible they had missed this one due to its size.

“Thank you Johann,” Stoick clapped the other man on the back, forcing him to take a step forward from the force of it.

“Can we keep this?” Astrid gestured to the map.

“It is yours my dear.”

She was already rolling the map up in her hands, planning their next step. “We’ll need food and supplies. We don’t know how long this could take, or what condition Hiccup could be in-

“Astrid, we can’t rush into this.”

Astrid stared at her Chief. “But Sir, it’s Hiccup! He’s been missing for two weeks and we _finally_ have a lead.”

“I know lass,” Stoick took the girl aside. “You know I want to find Hiccup and bring him home just as much as you do,” he told her. “But it’s almost sunset. By the time we have everything gathered it will be night. We don’t know what we could be facing on this island. Will we need a healer? Why hasn’t Hiccup returned on his own?” The large man scrubbed a hand over his eyes. He had barely slept in the last two weeks. “We both know Hiccup has a connection to the dragons that we will never understand. If he could, don’t you think he would have tamed one of the beasts and come home?”

“But if he is hurt,” Astrid argued. “We need to get to him.”

“Astrid, I know how much you care for him.”

Astrid opened her mouth to argue, but what was the point? She was the one who had wanted to keep it quiet, but now that didn’t seem to matter. Astrid just wanted him back “How?”

“I have eyes.”” Stoick couldn’t help but chuckle at the girl’s expression.  

 “We will find him Astrid, and we _will_ bring him home.”

He led the Astrid away from the docks. Away from the crowd that had gathered. Many of the villagers had been hoping that Hiccup had returned.

“First things first,” Stoick said. “You need to gather the other riders.”

“No need for that.” The crowd parted to reveal Fishlegs, Snotlout and the twins.

“Yeah, let’s go find Hiccup.”

 ***

Hiccup’s eyes sprung open. He stared up at the man whose death had eaten at his conscience for weeks.

“What, you thought we wouldn’t find you? I have to say that’s rather disappointing.”

How long had the Dragon Hunter been watching him flounder in the water?

The gallons of briny seawater he’d swallowed sat heavily in his stomach. Hiccup rolled over and threw it all up while Viggo Grimborn cringed in distaste.

“I’ve got to say Hiccup; this is not one of your finer moments.”

“Save it Viggo.” Hiccup pushed up onto his hands and knees. Water dripped from his clothes to pool underneath him. “What do you want?”

“What I want?” The dark-haired man looked genuinely surprised at the question. “You know what I want. I want the dragon’s gone.”

Hiccup shook his head, his brows creased together. “You don’t need me for that.” He sat back into a kneeling position, gesturing out back towards the harbour. “What was the point of all this?”

Viggo bent forward. “Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. You see Hiccup, you are very important to this operation. Some might say essential.” The older man grabbed Hiccup by the arm, hauling him into an upright position.

Hiccup balanced on one foot in Viggo’s bruising grip. He didn’t understand. The confusion must have been visible on his face.

“I know you have the Dragon Eye lenses.”

Hiccup tried to tug his hand free. “What does it matter?” He yelled. “The Dragon Eye is gone.”

Viggo let him go and the boy lurched backwards. “More assumptions Hiccup. Don’t you think it’s possible that it _also_ survived the fall into the volcano?”

Hiccup raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

“Of course, you are right this time.” Viggo crossed his arms across his chest. “The Dragon Eye was destroyed, but I know of your talents in the forge.” He leant in close towards Hiccup. “I know you made a new one.”

Hiccup didn’t ask how he knew. It was more than likely that someone had been spying on him, there was no point denying what he’d been doing. He hadn’t been successful in recreating the tool anyway.

“It doesn’t work.”

“Not yet.” Viggo grabbed at Hiccup again. “But I have faith. I have seen your work before.” He began to drag the resisting boy towards the base of the cliff. It sloped gently upwards in a tumble of sand and clay. Hiccup had to hop, using the large scattered rocks to maintain his balance.

“You could have just stolen my work,” Hiccup pointed out. “Was any of this really necessary?” He was being pulled up the hill now, high above the dark ocean.

“It’s but one part to the plan.” Viggo tugged painfully on his arm when Hiccup fell to his knees. “We planned to take you regardless. It was oh so very convenient of you to come to me. Imagine my surprise to watch you walk into town like you owned the place. You really did make it too easy. And now, we will ransom you off to you tribe in exchange for the rest of your work.”

Hiccup pulled back against the grip on his arm, refusing to let the older man pull him to his feet. “It’s not going to work Viggo. I’m not going to let this happen.”

“Look at you!” Viggo let go and Hiccup sprawled back in the dirt. “You are in no position to quarrel.” He advanced on Hiccup, edging the boy towards the lip of the precipice.

Hiccup kicked his leg out, sending the dark-haired man stumbling down. He rolled, becoming precariously close to the rock-face.

“Hiccup, this is beneath us,” the man growled. He snatched Hiccup’s leg, dragging the young man back. Hiccup kicked and fought to release himself from the man’s unyielding grasp.

Viggo managed to grab the front of Hiccup’s tunic, raising him up and slamming him into the ground. He lay there dazed, staring up into the clear night sky. Viggo loomed over him. One large hand wrapped itself around Hiccup’s throat. The boy clawed at the hand.

“There are two ways we can do this Hiccup.” The hand around his throat tightened. “The easy way; where you co-operate and tell Berk to hand over the Dragon Eye, or the hard way; where until I get what I want, I kill everyone you hold dear. I started with your dragon, but who will I take next? Your girlfriend or your father?"

Hiccup’s eyes went wide. “You killed- No!” He managed to get his right foot up between him and Viggo, planting it on Viggo’s chest. Adrenaline gave him a burst of strength and Hiccup shoved with all his might, pulling the older man’s arms toward him as he pushed with his foot.

He sent Viggo flying over his head and over the edge of the cliff, but the grip on his arms meant Hiccup was pulled down too. They went tumbling down, twisting and scrabbling against each other as they bounced over the rocks. With a thud, they hit the ground, Hiccup on top. All the wind was knocked from his lungs. He gasped feebly, trying to draw in air.

Viggo was unmoving beneath him.

Hiccup managed to roll sideways. He lay on his back, head turned towards Viggo. It was obvious the older man was dead. His eyes were open, vacant and unseeing. Blood was pooling beneath his head. The crimson liquid shone silver in the moonlight.

Hiccup turned his face to the sky.

Gods, his head hurt. His chest hurt. Everything hurt.

The wind had picked up. Tossing about amongst the waves and spraying a fine mist across Hiccup’s cold body.

A soft groan escaped his battered body and he closed his eyes.


	6. Chapter Six

The world was bright light and heat. Then bitter cold, darkness, and pain.

He was cold, so cold. His bones were frozen brittle things. One wrong move and his whole body would shatter into a thousand fragments of ice.

And then heat. The world was on fire. Flames were licking up his spine. Sparks danced across his forehead and burned behind his eyes.

A dragon sat on his chest. Heavy and warm. Toothless? Where was Toothless?

The blanket lay heavy across his chest, its thick woollen fibres scratching at his skin. Something pressed at his lips, insistent. He turned his head away. There it was again. He was too weak to resist. Something cold and fresh dribbled onto his tongue. It tasted so good and his mouth was so dry.

More water. He drank greedily, choking on the cool liquid. His chest burned with each cough. A thick, sharp smell clogged his nose. He recoiled from it expecting some foul-tasting potion. Instead, hands rubbed soothing circles on his chest as the coughing eased.

The world was fuzzy and indistinct. Someone was speaking but he couldn't make out the words. He was tired, so tired. He wanted to open his eyes, but they were weighed down. He sank back into the darkness.

***

Thirsty. He was so thirsty. Water. He needed water. He called out to anyone that could hear him, shifting on the bed. Calling. Twisting. Reaching.

A cup was held to his lips and a voice was murmuring. Its soothing cadence had a calming effect even if he couldn't understand the words. He tried to gulp down the water, but the cup was removed with what sounded like a gentle reprimand. It returned and he drank more slowly, savouring the taste.

He opened his eyes and a blurry figure slowly sharpened into the shape of a woman.

"Mom?" The word caught painfully, tearing another cough from his throat and he hacked, curled over on his side. Black begins to creep in to the edges of his vision. The woman held placed something on the bed beside them; a bowl with a paste of some kind. Hiccup can smell it, sharp and astringent. It stung his nostrils and he flinched away from the scent.

She dipped her fingers into the paste and made a circling motion. Hiccup didn't have the strength to protest. He let her rub the ointment into his skin and soon his breathing eased. The motion becomes soothing and he can't keep his eyes open any longer.

***

He's warm and comfortable and for the first time since he can remember, Hiccup can draw a breath without pain or discomfort. As he shifted into a more comfortable position he realised he's not wearing anything under his blankets, but right now he doesn't have the presence of mind to feel embarrassed.

Slowly his memories returned. Viggo was unquestionably dead. This time Hiccup cannot bring himself to feel guilty about it. He wondered briefly if he is dead too. No, he decided. He's too uncomfortable to be dead. He's covered head to toe in scratches, bumps and abrasions from his night on the cliff side. His side ached when he moved, when he breathed, Gods, even when he blinked, courtesy of his tumble down the hill. Hiccup can feel the bandages wrapped tightly around his torso.

He had no idea where he was.

As he became more lucid, Hiccup realised that his ability to communicate with his nurse was impeded by a language barrier rather than a muddled head.

He wondered if Astrid and his father were searching for him. He'd left no clue to his destination and he had been dragged so far off course from his original route. If he couldn't figure out where he was, how ever was he going to get home to Berk?

Without Toothless.

Hiccup remembered Viggo's words well. They had been the only clear thing in his mind, replaying in his head over and over as he tossed and turned, burning with fever.

Toothless was gone. Hiccup had lost his best friend.

The sound of footsteps roused him. The woman who had nursed Hiccup back to health entered the room, carrying a bowl of broth. She smiled when she saw him awake. Hiccup tried to return it with a weak smile of his own.

He propped himself up on a shaky arm, wincing when the movement jarred his ribs. The woman put down her tray and helped Hiccup to sit up. She murmured something in her foreign tongue and picked up the bowl, handing it to the young man on the bed.

"Thank you," he croaked, resting the warm bowl in his lap. He ate slowly while the woman bustled around the room. He could hear other voices from further within the house and wondered again where he was and how long he'd been out of it. Hiccup realised that he had no idea how long he'd been gone from Berk.

After a few bites, Hiccup left the spoon sitting in the bowl. The woman came and sat beside him on the bed, encouraging him to eat some more. Sitting and eating had used up his small store of energy. He let his head fall back against the wall, eyes closed.

He felt the bed shift as the woman took the bowl and stood. The floor creaked softly as she stepped out of the room, returning quickly and helping Hiccup to lie back down.

It didn't take long for Hiccup to drift off again.

***

The next few days followed the same pattern.

Hiccup would wake, eat and sleep, slowly building up his strength until his periods of wakefulness grew longer.

The woman would check on him often. Hiccup hadn't seen anyone else since he had first woken, but he could often hear other voices echoing through the house.

There was a gentle knock on the door and the woman entered carrying a pile of clothing. A small child came rushing into the room behind her, chattering excitedly. She stopped, eyes wide when she noticed Hiccup awake, the steady stream of babble dying suddenly on her lips. She ducked behind her mother's skirts, her gaze never leaving Hiccup.

Her mother rolled her eyes at her child's antics. Her tone as she spoke was lightly scolding, but there was amusement in her eyes. The older woman placed the clothing on the bed, and dragged the child from the room.

Hiccup leaned forward, reaching for the fresh clothes on the end of his bed. The movement hurt. It also shifted the blankets, reminding Hiccup of his situation under the covers. What hadn't seemed important earlier, suddenly had him flushing and struggling to pull his tunic over his head. He couldn't raise his arms too high without feeling the strain on his ribs. Biting his lip, Hiccup shoved his arms through the sleeves, grunting in pain and letting the shirt settle.

The pants were easier. He didn't have to reach too far to get them on. Dressed, he sat on the bed, his legs hanging over the side.

A few minutes later there's a soft knock on the door and a head peeked in.

The woman returned, holding a crutch. She placed it against the wall by the bed and held her arms out. She nodded at her hands and spoke in her unfamiliar language.

Tentatively Hiccup reached out to grasp the woman's hands. She counted down slowly, three short words and pulled him to his feet.

He wobbled on a shaky leg. With one hand the woman reached to grab the crutch, passing it to Hiccup. He held it under his left arm, bracing his weight against it.

It was a slow and painful journey through the little house. With the woman's help, Hiccup made it outside to a chair that had been set up in the sun.

Hiccup lowered himself down into it gingerly and let the crutch drop to the ground.

He was exhausted, but the effort it would take to get back to the bed put him off returning. How many days had he already lost sleeping? Hiccup had no idea what day it was now and no way of asking.

It was nice in the sun. It was nice to look around and see something other than a dimly lit wooden cabin. The house sat in a little clearing. Off to the left was forest. Hiccup could see a narrow track winding off into the trees. To the right, the clearing extended down towards the sea. The ocean sparkled in the late afternoon sun.

It reminded Hiccup of Berk.

On the far side of his home was a cliff with the most charming view of the sunset. When they could find the time, Hiccup and Astrid would meet there with their dragons and watch the sun sink into the sea.

Hiccup couldn't imagine a world without Toothless in it. Everyone assumed that the dragon was reliant on the Viking. Hiccup wasn't so sure. If it wasn't for Toothless would there still be peace between Vikings and Dragon's on Berk? Would Hiccup be the man he was today if he hadn't shown the village that the dragons weren't the dangerous vengeful creatures everyone thought them to be. None of that would have been possible without Toothless's help. Yes, Hiccup had shot the Night Fury out of the sky, causing irreparable damage to the dragon's tail. The guilt of it still weighed on the boy, just like he knew the guilt of damaging Hiccup's leg had weighed heavily on Toothless.

Toothless was Hiccup's best friend. His first friend.

And he was gone.

Hiccup sat, lost in thought and staring into space. The young girl wandered out of the house to sit beside him on the grass, a doll clutched in her small hands.

She was talking, babbling with childish excitement as she brandished the toy in Hiccup's face. This got his attention and he pulled himself out of his thoughts.

The words the girl spoke made little sense.

"I'm sorry," Hiccup shook his head. "I don't understand you." He realised that his words were probably just as foreign to the little girl. She couldn't have been more than six or seven. She seemed to take a moment to process Hiccup's words and try and make sense of his speech.

Hiccup had encountered a few languages during his travels. One of the many advantages of training dragons wasat the world the Vikings knew had become a whole lot bigger. They had ventured out further than ever before and met people from all over. Despite that, Hiccup didn't recognise this language as one he knew, though some of the words sounded familiar to ones he had encountered before.

The child repeated the same words over and over. One of them sounded like a name.

"Adeline." Hiccup echoed it back. "Is that your name?"

The girl giggled and ducked her head shyly. She glanced up at Hiccup, waiting.

"Oh, uh…" Hiccup put a hand to his chest. "Hiccup."

She repeated his name.

Hiccup smiled and nodded.

Adeline pointed at his leg and said something. From where she stood by the clothes line, her mother scolded the child. Hiccup guessed what the girl was saying.

"It's okay," he kept his speech normal, even though no one understood him. "It was a dragon. A really big one. It had been terrorising the village." He paused at the lack of comprehension in Adeline's eyes. "Uh," He searched around as saw a stick. He pointed to it. The girl understood this and fetched it. Hiccup drew a picture in the dirt. "Dragon. Rah!" The small child giggled at his impression. "Gobbled it all up."

He drew another picture. "Toothless." He let out a sad breath. "My best friend. He saved me, but I- I couldn't save him."

Though his words were meaningless to them, the signs of grief, it seemed, were universal. Adaline made a small sound and put her doll down. She stood and gave Hiccup a hug. He felt a little awkward being consoled by a child. He wasn't quite sure what to do with his hands.

Adeline pulled away and returned to her game.

Her mother had watched the entire exchange with a critical eye. It made sense. Hiccup was a stranger to this little family. Not that he could hurt any of them, even if he wanted to, he was as weak as a hatchling. He supposed that counted in his favour. What would happen once he was better? Would these people still help him? Why had they even helped him in the first place? How had he come to be with them?

Hiccup had so many questions that he couldn't ask. It was frustrating.

He sat, stewing in his thoughts while Adeline played beside him. Her mother finished with the laundry and helped Hiccup back to his room. The short venture outside had exhausted him and he was more than ready to return bed.

With a few unintelligible words, she left him alone to rest. Hiccup wanted to sleep, but his mind was racing.

He needed to find a way to communicate with the people who had helped him. He needed to find out where he was.

Hiccup needed to find a way to get home.


End file.
